Meanwhile, three days before closing at the higher sale price, the leaders of Marten Falls First Nation and Aroland First Nation in the Ring of Fire expressed their “disappointment” in the bidding process, saying that it had “not been inclusive and transparent, leading to a potential unfair and biased outcome.” At the time, they said that “there is a bidder who not only has First Nation support, but has a superior bid that will benefit Cliffs’ creditors and help advance the Chromite project for Ontario.”

More to the point — and in a sign of things to come, with respect to relationships between mining companies and First Nations in the area — interim Marten Falls Chief Bruce Achneepineskum stated: “We are united in opposing the proposed Noront and Franco-Nevada deal, and we will do everything in our capacity to make sure that no ore will ever leave our backyards without the meaningful involvement and participation of all Matawa First Nations. It is incomprehensible that the interest and ability of our communities to participate in the transaction has been so discounted that we were never even approached for any commercial discussion.”

The First Nations especially object to Franco’s total 5% royalty on the chromite claims, which they describe as “a high royalty load that will significantly impair the ability to justify and finance the ultimate construction of the Chromite project. If the project is put into operation, this additional revenue royalty will reduce the profitability significantly, cutting into the bottom line and jeopardizing chances of the First Nations obtaining any benefit. This will cause more exposure to pricing cycles and less profits to be shared with the impacted First Nations.”

They also object to Noront’s prioritizing of its nickel assets over its chromite ones, and its push to develop an east–west transportation corridor instead of a north–south one that would directly benefit five Matawa communities that are still beyond Ontario’s road system.